Sometimes I wish she would lose her religion and find me." NOTE: I accidently switched this story with a reply to a survey. It's fixed now, but I apologize to those who ended up seeing it. That was NOT supposed to be there.

no, i like the wayyour hair falls when you prayand how your glassesslip down your nose whileyou're reading the bible.(though it's like shakespeare for me;i could never get into those long-winded things.)

i don't mind jesussharing our apartment.i'm pretty easygoing,i'd like to think.i invite him in, compliment his beard,offer food that won't dirty up his robes.

but when you come home from churchand i try to touch you,you always pull away.your eyes turn scared and you say"this is wrong, we are wrong,we're so wrong!"and it takes longer and longerto quiet you nowadays,to run my hands through your hair and whisper"feel this? how's this wrong?i love you more than sunsetsor the ocean or birds."

and each time your mother calls you,you drop my nickname, start referring to meas "elizabeth"pay a little more attention to the guyson television,show no interest inall our favorite shows.

and god crawls into our bedwith us, between the sheetsmakes it silentmakes it cold.i touch your arm gently,but you're lost in dreamsof hell.

i wish you could rememberkissing in the heat of summerpopsicles dripping around our feetyour cheeks red, lips red, laughing.i wish you could rememberwatching RENT togetherthen pulling me into the bedroom--"there's only us. there's only this."

i believe in youand you believe in a religionthat tells us our relationshipwill kill us, in the end.

well, i would go to hell for you.i would burn and sufferand what-the-fuck-everif you would look at me again,if you would hold my hand in public,if you'd remember we have friends out there.rememberwe're in love.

i sit on the mattress and wait for youas you kneel inside our roomat night.

"please take care of mom and daddy.watch over brooklyn. guide my feet.and, god, oh, pleaseforgive me.i'm a sinner--i have sinned."

you crawl into the bed;i put my arms around your body.at least until the morningi can havesome part of you.